Sun Hands

Madam L'engle once said, "It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand." Instantly I remembered that line from Coldplay's song Viva La Vida which goes, "And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand." See, sometimes, it's good to think about the foundation which you have laid since most of the time, not having a concrete and stable foundation from which to build one's life, future and ambitions, can be a dangerous thing. It is indeed such a sad thing to realize that the base of the infrastructure called life is one that is shaky and would crumble easily... much like sand. If you happen to be reading this, I can only wish that you check on the portions and segments that you've layered your life on through the years... will it disintegrate easily? Will it fall to pieces, fall apart, go to rack and ruin over a period of time as part of a process of deterioration? Will it disintegrate at the first signs of strain and pressure? These are of course some things I find we take for granted...especially if we've been accustomed to getting our way most of the time. This is probably why I see roadblocks in life as mere checkpoints and learning curves so that I may learn to separate the grounds on which I have established my aspirations upon...is it strong like a rock or will it shatter like sand? Surely, when you reflect upon these matters, you are given the opportunity to strengthen your very core- to make it more durable and enduring. 

 

I do not discount that the experiences we have gone through in our process of growth have a great and significant impact on how stable our foundations become. It is undeniable that what we go through mold and provide a template by which we go about things. We all carry influences and experiences from our childhood into our adult lives. I find that dysfunctional families are the norm rather than the exception for this society and for our generation and that probably the question is not do we have something that needs to be worked out from our childhood? The more appropriate question probably is, what do we have to work on from the experiences of our childhood? I think I have encountered a lot of people enough to say that all of us had issues to deal with growing up, whether we admit it or not. Life isn't perfect for anybody and basically we are all in the same game... just different devils. Dealing with the same hell, just different devils. 

The amazing thing about the human adventure is that no matter how horrendously awful our process of growing up and childhood was, as we work through it, we will also always find some memories of happiness that had long since been forgotten and that no matter how perfect our family seemed on the surface, we always have some painful experiences- for some greater than with others- to work through. True happiness does not come from a perfect childhood. Happiness comes from claiming our unique childhood, working on the foundations we have established through the lessons it holds from us. To put it in a more optimistic point of view, allow me to quote Simone de Beauvoir, "If you aren't happy very young, you can still be happy later on... it might be much harder, you need more luck." But it is possible, it is attainable... it is yours. 

I chose this particular song entitled, Sun Hands by Local Natives as the title of my blog post because aside from being an awesome song, it also adds further clarity on this blog entry. I find the song very optimistic as we go in search for enlightenment or a deep process of belonging. The song gives off this vibe for us to keep on holding on... even if the morning never comes. Whatever it is, here we are, still fighting and going on and persevere to  "endure the night for the promise of light".

I climbed to the top of a hill
But I had just missed the sun
And although the descending arc was gone
Left behind were the traces that always follow along
The most beautiful colors chase the sun
They wrap her trail in a taunting gesture
That seems to sing out loud,
"this is what you're missing"
I'll endure the night
For the promise of light
I want to lift my hands towards the sun
Show me warmth
Baby, won't you show me warmth again?
And when I can feel with my sun hands
I'll promise not to lose her again
And even if the morning never comes
My hands are blessed to have touched the sun
And when I can feel with my sun hands
I promise not to lose her again

- Sun Hands, Local Natives

To relate this to my outfit, let me remind you of my history of putting my iPod on Shuffle mode on days when I can't seem to decide on what to wear. The day I wore this was for a shoot of a brand new Glitterati, made better by the conscious efforts of my sister Dominique and I. Usually, for shoots, I prefer to be as casual and laid back as possible because I know we will be running around the studio and directing the entire process. I decided since it was a fresh start, I wanted something fresh and different as well and when my trusty iPod (which I rely on like some Magic 8 Ball for fashion inspiration) played this song first, I had a pretty good idea of what I was to wear. Aside from the limitations that the summer heat has imposed on everyone from my country (on this day with a record high of 37-degrees Celsius), a summer dress with a sheer cape and bright heels seemed to be the perfect outfit choice. I have been following this group from back when they were named Cavil at Rest, and since my song preferences stretch from mainstream bubblegum Pop (yes, I still have Call Me Maybe and Just The Way You Are on my track list) to heavy metal biker grunge sounds (with ZZ Top and AC/DC as my favorites), somewhere in the middle, I guess, I developed an interest in the whole psych folk genre and while I do know I am far from being a hipster in all ways and forms, it's all pretty simple: when I like something, I like something. So while you probably won't see me donned in head to toe "Folk Couture," and definitely not in folkloric Nordic-inspired prints and animal skin (with the exception of George I and George II and George III which are faux) or like a country bumpkin with henna on my hands, this is probably as indie as it goes for me. I mean I did add the feather head dress and the flowy cape and that's folk enough for me.

Floral Spaghetti Strapped Dress with Ruffled Hem: Paradise Treats | White Chiffon Long Cape: Glitterati | Tangerine Platfrom Shoes: Zara | Coral Bag: Shiq Bags | Suede Beaded Head Dress with Colorful Feather: Never The Same Shop 

Photo Credits: Dominique Tiu

xx, JL